Lol Sandy might as well be pulling a typical dad move when he popped the hood. "I'm not mad I'm just disappointed"

Kudos to Kia for braving Sandy’s opinion.

Someone at Kia must be pushing for a redesign and wanted something to show the reluctant members of the team.

Automaker tip: don’t give Sandy an EV to evaluate if it doesn’t have a frunk.

Sandy’s Quote of the day: “If I’m putting lipstick 💄 on… and I DON’T” 😂😂😊

In Norway the trunk is much deeper. 430 liter. No problem with 4 suitcases. My car has done 110 000 km as a taxi. 68 000 miles. Except a problem with lubrication in the the « gear box» when it was new, it has been a very good car. It is almost the same quality as my 3 Priuses I had before.

Sandy, when you opened the bonnet you were lucky not to fall on the ground like you did with Ford Mustang Mach E when you looked at the cooling system :D

Sandy really making sure we know he doesn't put on lipstick.

this is one of the best EV for the money today. drives amazing, long range, big space for a family 4-5. good price, drives much better den ID4, tesla 3, kona. and 7 years garanti unlike other brands. had it for 1 year and very pleased.

I love how the video just stops at the point where you can see Sandy’s done with this product. No frunk? Why bother

I love that it has actual knobs for climate control, instead of putting it on the touchscreen. Much easier to use. A lot of other EVs put the controls in the touchscreen, which I don't like.

Based on all of the reviews I've read, it appears to be a decent EV. Clearly it's way too expensive, though, especially for a shared-platform car that loses out on some of the niceties of a dedicated EV; frunk, flat floor, etc.

just about 1yr with our Niro EV, leasing till Cybertruck arrives. Itss the perfect small car, hauls our 9mo baby and Bob stroller, and has enough torque to get in trouble with. We thoroughly enjoy this little beastie

They probably gave you this, so they can blow you away with the Ioniq 5 and EV6.

Kia is just setting up Sandy for their new EV coming soon. So when he receives that EV6 it will blow him away and will keep comparing it to the Niro.

Kia/Hyundai are one of the few out these who can compete in efficiency with Tesla.. you really need to give this car an honest chance and see how marvelous their engineering is

KZfaq has been a blessing in disguise for Munro. Car reviewers get real competition now. If traditional automakers don’t dare a review by Munro they are doomed, if they do and don’t have stuff in order they doomed. Looking forward to the upcoming reviews.

That disappointment when Sandy opens the hood and there is no frunk. lol

As others have mentioned, there is a lot more space under floor in the back. The Niro has the place to carry a compact spare tire. I bought a spare for mine because I don't like to travel with only a can of repair goo for the tires. Nearly every flat I have had has been from hitting road debris that destroyed a tire.

This is probably the last ‘old style’ Ev that Kia make in the sense that it share the platform with ICE variant. And compared to the equivalent offerings from other brands it still one of the best. KIA is coming out with the EV 6 (very similar to the Ionia 5) which will be a big step up. I’ve been very impressed with how far the Koreans have come in a relatively short time.

Sandy: "I am Groot!" Cory: "Language!!!"

Sandy is such a badass!!! 😂 "As long as I don't have to tell people to buy this, I'll have a look at it _*for free*_." 😂 Dude is a king.

We recently purchased this vehicle. A few items worth noting. 1. It’s not a hybrid…it’s a full on EV. 2. It has a 64kwh battery. 3. The mile rating is Extremely underrated. We are average right at 300 miles per charge. And it’s not just us…many owners are experiencing the same. 4. We have no need for a frunk. The cargo space is surprisingly roomy. 5. Kias warranty is outstanding. 10 year/100k mile power train warranty and free towing for 5 years. 6. All Kia dealerships are now required to service EVs. Conversely, had we purchased a Tesla it would have to be towed 150 miles to the nearest Tesla repair center for major issues. 7. We purchased a 2020 and therefore got $7k off. After the tax rebate of $7500 our out the door price is right at $30k….which is a hell of a deal for what you’re getting. On a final note, we hate the single screen layout that Tesla forces on you in their model 3. Having an IP with instruments in front of you is invaluable. Having dedicated buttons and dials for common everyday controls is invaluable.

That engine cover pops off easily. The drivetrain is very compact - the only cable is about 2 feet to the battery. Kia/Hyundai (Kona is basically the same car in a different skin) are about the only cars that match Tesla for efficiency- 4-5 miles/kWh in normal driving conditions.

The reason for the manual latch on the hood is in case of someone misstakenly pops the hood while going down the highway. The demands are something like this: ”You should be able to be to drive at X km/h and misstakenly pop the hood from inside the car without any permanent damages done to the car”

When a manufacturer just gives you a car knowing what you'll do with it, you know you're doing it right! Also props to Kia for being confident enough in their product.

I just purchased my 2021 Niro EV at the end of last month here in Las Vegas and only have about 600 miles on it! I have easily gotten 270-280 miles on a single charge! It’s faster than my 2016 Ford escape titanium with the 2L turbo eco-boost and has more space for my four person family on the inside! Plus it only cost $3.20 to charge its 64 kWh battery pack using off peak rates!! I am completely in love with this car! To think that it will be the worst electric vehicle I ever own is a completely thrilling thought!

I really appreciate Kia doing this. It tells to me that in their mind they have a good product to stand the test of Sandy's team dissecting it completely while quite a large audience is watching. On top of that, they strive to do better. I just want to see products get as good as they can, so respect for Kia.

Even though it isn't an ground up EV, it's one of the most efficienct EV models.

I see sandy is getting used to the KZfaq trolls. Hahahaha lipstick comment made me lol

We have many of those here in the Netherlands, very interesting to see!

I have had the car for 2.5 years. The model I have the double floor is removed which makes the trunk alot bigger and useful. Aftermarket frunk of 50+ liters is possible to install. Its a little long in the tooth compared to todays EV's since it came out in 2019 and based on a 2016 platform, but the efficiency and range is great so I would say its still a very good buy.

Would love him to check out the EV6 and maybe Ioniq 5. Teardowns of more cars would be awesome!

LOL! "I'm looking for something why it costs $47k!!" BUT....Sandy is right again! That does not look like a $47K car.

A lot of the interior reminds me of my 2012 Prius V. The cargo area is essentially the same, the cargo door handle, the mirrors with the sliding cover, those little lights in the roof for the lights, the sun glasses storage. Nothing exceptional in any of that and I can see many buyers being familiar with them.

The only thing I saw that impressed me was that it looks like it's able to take a spare tire under the trunk floor which, if this is correct, makes it a better design than every other EV I've seen. There is literally no other EV on the market I'm aware of that makes any effort to allow for carrying a spare at all. Not everyone drives exclusively in urban areas well served by breakdown assistance - getting a flat turns a minor inconvenience into a major expense and a long wait on a car with no spare. Flat tires don't happen often, but they invariably happen in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sandy, your reaction to the price is what we see in Australia all the time. My model 3 LR cost $83000 and once on road it ended up costing me $91000 just ridiculous. This is the same car you guys locally in US pay far less for because it's made locally there. As with your last video about the US government constantly having a dig at local manufacturing, you are right on the money. These crazy high prices end up being the norm when you have to import everything 😒

The Niro comes in three versions. HEV, PHEV, and BEV. There is no pure ICE version as far as I know. I have the PHEV on a 3 year lease and I love it. I go to work and back every day, mostly on electricity. But my next car will be pure BEV. The Niro has a lot of clever, subtle interface/control features. Oh, and the emperor of Rome was spelled Nero. :-)

Sandy really seems to dislike the idea of making things repairable. Cars like the Niro that weren't built from the ground up as EV's may not be perfect, but having easy access to components rather than having them buried in a skateboard chassis will just make it easier to fix things as they age. I'd happily forgo the frunk if it meant things could be repaired.

People always complain that Teslas are so expensive but they leave out that any decent EV is just as expensive and Teslas are competitively priced.

Self opening trunks are such a gimmick though. I am forever waiting for mine to open and close itself. I'd rather just do it on my own, I've got arms. No frunk because this is an ICE car. They make (or used to) pure ICE, Hybrid, PHEV and EV versions of this car. So everything is designed to go into the front area. Hence charge port at the front and no frunk. Its quite an old car these days really. Its a one size fits all, which means its a jack of all trades, master of none. The PHEV version is perhaps the worst from a utility standpoint because the battery eats into the boot space.

Back in 2018, when I was looking to buy an EV, I was seriously considering a Kia Niro EV. I ended up getting a Model 3, as Kia only sold in certain states, and even if I bought it and drove it back, my local dealership would not be able to service it, However, for my needs, the Kia ticked most of the boxes. That said, I’m glad I bought my Tesla.

I’d take that over a Chevy Bolt or Nissan Leaf.

Sandy, we have 2, a 2019 and 2020. I actually traded my model 3 LR RWD in for the 2020 I find with my commuting (140 km per day) it seems to be more efficient with a battery almost 10 kw smaller Heated steering wheel and cooled and hot seats. This car has everything needed and nothing you don't. A big thing is absolutely NO phantom drain is a positive for sure Things it could improve.. Awd Auto hold is default Steering could be a little more sporty Any how, would love to see you dive a little deeper into this vehicle one day Thanks for all your amazing content! I watch every show

I love the manual tailgate. No need for electric stuff there, for the weight and complexity. In other cases, Munro complains about 2-3 more threaded fasteners than needed, and in this place, you demand for the overhead of an electric tail gate?

The only thing that felt very odd about the car was the price. Seems disproportionate for what it offers. This car coming in significantly lower than a Tesla model 3 can make sense.

Kia/Hyundai is nipping at Toyota's heels. Honing in quickly on quality and reliability the past ~10 years.

Charging infrastructure is growing leaps & bounds. Right now, we are living through some exciting times for personal vehicles. It's like the wild west of EV's.

OMG -- when Sandy says, "I like that option better than the Prince mirror," at @11:21 ... Is he talking about Edgar Prince's vanity mirror? I've never heard anyone call it that, but my grandpa worked for Prince Corp, who built those "vanity mirrors." Now called Johnson Controls. I wonder if Sandy knows that far-back automotive history. 🤔

If it was up to me I'd want something with no power windows, power door lifts, infotainment, etc Less parts, less cost, less maintenance. Just keep it simple.

I am Glad they sent you one , I have never owned this brand , always admired their quality from appearance, they have come a long way, positive review from Sandy, enjoyed thanks

I'm surprised with Sandy's comment on a location of the charging port. For every modern car, bumper is designed to absorb impacts, even smaller ones. As a result, bumper could be damaged or completely destroyed even at a low speed collision. In a case of small damage to the bumper you may still safely operate the car. However, if the charging port is in the bumper, it may be also damaged and the operator might not be able to safely charge a car. In my opinion placing a charging port in the bumper is wrong and potentially dangerous solution.

Prediction: Assuming the chip shortage is solved by this time next year, the Niro EV will be marked down significantly as more "modern" EV designs from all manufacturers hit the market. There is absolutely no way I'd spend $47K on one of these. Knock $10 grand off (before EV tax credits) and I'd consider it, as it would make for a great daily run-a-bout.

I have the 2019. No thrills car and never had an issue with it. I'd pay more for solid quality than thrills that comes with tesla. I also have the base version and there's no tesla in that price range. I think the ev niro was never built to compete with tesla.

Sandy, try this: turn a vanity mirror light on, then shut the visor. Kia has long had a clever way of saving parts without skimping on functionality. Compare the number of parts for the light operation to a VW product. You get a lot of flexibility with fewer, more reliable parts with Kia’s design. There are tons of little clever things like this. They make a big difference and most people never even appreciate them.

I’ve had by EV Niro for 1 year. Live in Ireland and enjoy temperate climate. Get 500km range. Enjoy lane keep assist & adaptive cc as standard. I love our eNiro. Great value at €35k after subsidies. Saves me €3k per annum in fuel, tax, servicing etc, over my last ICE equivalent. I looked at model 3, but being a saloon, has no boot and limited load capacity, and it’s at least €12k (30%) more expensive. And my Kia is a delight to drive. What’s not to like.

“Goodness Gracious”..after lifting up the hood..priceless 😂

The charging port in front gets covered in snow and ices up in colder regions. They’ve gone with a rear port in the new EV6.

5:50 - As an Australian, I smiled hearing Sandy say "buggered"

The lack of frunk was the end of the video. 🤣😂😂 Sandy was like: bye Kia.

You're awesome sandy, but I lost it when the "holy doodle" caption came out. Now everyone in the office is wondering why I'm laughing so hard.

Munro is always a great watch. He was ripping on the niro on Bloomberg and then a few hours later he does an in depth. Brilliant

It's due for an update in early 2022. We call it "near row" (Niro) it's based on a ice vehicle and their first Ev offering, so it's cheaper to convert an Ice vehicle to an Ev just like they did with the Hyundai Kona Electric. It's bigger than its sister car the Hyundai Kona Electric.

"sorry, bye" hahaha

“Kia used to be crap.” True, at one point a local dealer was offering a buy one, get one free deal. Seriously, buy an Optima and get a Rio free. Sandy is right, Kia (and sister company Hyundai) have come a long way. I’ve owned two Kia’s and one Hyundai and they’ve all been outstanding.

Sandy looks so sad! He genuinely was hoping for a real frunk. He loves cars so much that he hates giving a bad review.

In other markets (EU for example), there isn't a raised floor in the trunk. If you remove the inner flooring in the trunk, it's waaaay bigger.

I can watch Sandy all day.

"If I put 💋 on.....and I don't." lol, thanks we needed that confirmed. :)

Hey Sandy, For a different perspective on the charge port location, I think it's better to have them on the rear like Tesla does. When you reverse into a parking bay it's safer for you to leave it afterwards. Reversing out of a bay you can't see cross-traffic well compared to driving out, it's easy to get stuck in a position where you need to reverse out enough to see left and right without knowing if anything is going to cross behind you. I always reverse into parking bays for this reason regardless of if I'm charging or not. Thankfully when you own a Tesla you get very good at reversing from doing it so often for charging. :)

The sound of the doors' operation is a solid build quality proxy. I only owned two cars that passed that test: A 200D/8 and a VW T4. ((small sample size alert!) The other cars were 3 different generations of VW Golf...)

Great summary of hybrids: 'Why do I need two powertrains, and why would I want an ICE powertrain if I'm trying to avoid maintenance costs by going electric?'

I had this car, totaled! And I read the whole manual :) Have to noted that after $10000 discount price get OK if dealer won’t screw you. And I loved that car! Runs further then Tesla M3 and easier to find CCS chargers in rural mountain area then Tesla SC. Cargo space is OK but definitely not great

Hopefully KIA's PMs were watching this and taking notes. Man, Sandy's knowledge is priceless. These videos are are a masterclass in product.

11:10 "AND I DON'T..." Hahahaha

Front charge port froze solid if you have icing conditions. In Finland, Kia Niro is 20000€ cheaper than model Y. It makes big difference.

Sandy: “if I put a lipstick, and I don’t….” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 sandy is the best!

Light in the charging point is a nice touch.

I saw the Niro at the Toronto auto show right after introduction and had many of the same thought with the ICE and Hybrid, very familiar controls and locations, nice cabin space, light on cargo space The rep at the booth indicated that it was designed to accommodate the three power trains, ICE, hybrid and full electric., So compromises are always a part of such a package

Can we fit drivetrain and battery in the wheel? I.e. no big components aside from dash, air con and cameras in body?

That's actually quite a positive review from Sandy!!

Thanks for an honest review. The best part is the addition of snarky text. Holy doodle!

Sandy’s first observation of the mirror is that it would be good for putting on lipstick, then he expects us to believe it when he says he doesn’t put on lipstick :)

I just remembered the connection to Rome burning when you first mentioned it.

Kia knows that they are going to get a lot of valuable constructive criticism. Kia just may be trying to make a successful transition to great EVs. And there's no better place to start than to let Sandy & the team have at it.

Thanks for the info as always Sandy and team

The Korean car companies are now in the lead for second place in my book after Tesla. Their efficiency, models and prices are very good and they deserve the fans they have. It is the only non Tesla car I would consider if I had to make a non Tesla choice.

just got back from a hilly drive in NH with my Niro, 148 miles at 5.5 miles/kwh at 64 kw of battery, that 352 miles of range at 100% or 316 at 90%

if you hit someone with that charger in the front its gonna be expensive

"No Frunk For You!" (Sorry Sandy! Reminds me of that Seinfeld "No Soup For You!" Clip!) Kia kind of "Lost your Enthusiasm" right there! 😳

Loving my Mach-E. Zero issues with 8,500 miles on the odometer.

I’ve watched to many of Sandy’s videos ! I knew every time he was gonna tell cameraman where to go instead, lol 😂

"I'm going to call it the 'nye-row'" LOL Also, this doesn't seem awful for a first take at an EV from 3 years ago. Curious to see how much more an improvement the EV6 will be. As this car is based on an ICE vehicle, lots of limitations for the price, but good starter vehicle, I think, and you should be able to buy them cheap on the used market once it cools down. Helpful transitional vehicle for those who can't buy new. But if you are buying a new EV, not sure what the market would be for this.

16:31 that sigh of grief is the highlight of this video.

“Somebody’s buggered this up.” He says about himself. :) Thanks for your content, Sandy!

Mine was $41k. Minus $7,500 tax credit put mine at around $34k, NOT $47K. Love mine as it was nice interior and longer range than I expected and much less than Tesla. I am getting between 260-280 miles per charge. I popped off the plastic cover in the hood and popped on a "frunk" of my own. Under that is the inverter and then the electric motor. Can remove the trays under the trunk to get deeper cargo storage. It is not competing with Tesla. Nicer, higher end interior than comparable others such as Bolt, Leaf, Kona. They felt economy class.

I have had my Kia Niro EV for two years now. Not one issue in 20,000 miles. My neighbor has a Tesla Model X, so we compare notes a lot over coffee. He paid $85,000 for his used and has had several warranty repairs including a new rear motor. I paid $29,000 for my E Niro after rebates. The E Niro is a compact car and as you would expect has less space than the Model X. Imagine that Sandy. Full charge range of 285 miles, seats more comfortable than the Model X, and I like the size of the screen that blends into the dash better. Kia didn't need to reinvent the wheel. It had a proven design and just changed the drive train to electric. I am in the electronics repair business, and get tired of all of the extra "Bells and Whistles" that keep breaking on the new cars. There is an old saying in this business. Keep It Simple Stupid, Or KISS for short. The simple design of the Kia E Niro is just that. No power rear hatch or hood. Just simple, reliable engineering that wont break over time. Sandy, you are correct. One size does not fit all. While I like what Tesla is doing, the Kia E Niro is a better fit for me now.

Does the “auto hold” reset when the power button is cycled?

I remember a few years ago someone asking Toyota who they feared most, Hyundai/Kia. Hyundai/Kia if magazines stated a design problem it was rectified rapidly. Look how fast they came up with all these EV’s where others are 2 years away.. plus great warranty

0:34 The golf ball car! The first glimpse of the front grill gave me the instant visual of the Mythbuster's golf ball car - they covered a car in dimples to see if it reduces drag. It does!